Pa. Senate debate a prickly affair

Pennsylvania’s candidates for Senate, Democrat Joe Sestak and Republican Pat Toomey, squared off in debate last night in Philadelphia, without much good to say. The race has the attention of the nation as a potential swing from Democrat to Republican. Polls now have it neck and neck.

The two candidates vying for Pennsylvania’s open Senate seat faced off at a debate at the Constitution Center in downtown Philadelphia Wednesday night. The two did not agree on much, but each said the other belongs to the extreme fringe of his political party.

Both sides frequently lobbed accusations of extremism. Democrat Joe Sestak talked about a recent endorsement for his opponent Republican Pat Toomey.

“Look, I know he won the very coveted award of the endorsement by Sarah Palin,” he said. “And I understand the anger of the Tea Party. What I’m most concerned about are those extreme candidates that are taking advantage of the extreme fringe of the Tea Party.”

But Toomey fired back, painting Sestak as an extreme liberal.

“It’s very clear, the person who is the extreme candidate who is out of touch with Pennsylvania is Joe Sestak,” he said. “Look at this agenda. He voted for all the bailouts and then introduced his own bill to create a new bailout.”

Toomey and Sestak traded barbs when it came to issues like abortion, healthcare, and foreign policy.

With less than two weeks left until the election, recent polls show Toomey neck and neck with Sestak.